Death Valley
by Shinimegami21
Summary: It’s been about 5 years since the end of the war. All the GW boys are 22 and Trieze is 28. Trieze lived through the end of the war purely by accident and is now going by the name Trieze Williams. Duo has become a very popular singer but also very lonely.
1. Chapter 1

**Death Valley**

Author: Shinimegami21

Pairings: 13x2, 3x4x5, 1xR, 6x9 Past 1x2

Warnings: Yaoi, AU, Set after EW

Summary: It's been about 5 years since the end of the war. All the GW boys are 22 and Trieze is 28. Trieze lived through the end of the war purely be accident. He is now going by the name Trieze Williams. Duo has become a very popular singer but also very lonely. They meet at a nightclub and sparks fly. But after his tragic past, and be betrayed by his friend and ex-lover, will Duo let himself love again?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it's characters, or any of the songs that I use. They all belong to their respective owners. So don't sue!! All you'll do is waste paper and money.

Duo Maxwell sighed as he stopped typing to scrub at his eyes. He still hadn't gotten the song to his liking. It just didn't come out right, no matter what he did. Duo pushed himself away from the laptop and walked into the kitchen. He rummaged through the fridge, the cupboards, cabinets, and pantry before realizing he had absolutely nothing in the house that resembled food. He sighed yet again, then winced as the sound seemed to echo throughout the house. Duo hated to admit it, but he was lonely. He missed the guys. He hadn't talked to them in about 5 years. He had kept tabs on them though.

Quatre Winner was head of Winner Industries and frequently on tv. He also had his Head of Security and Personal Assistant by his side aka his two highly possessive husbands. Trowa Barton and Chang Wufei. Trowa had gone back to the circus after the war but found that he couldn't live without Quatre. So he went back and told Quatre how he felt. Quatre was in high spirits to say the least.

Wufei had been traveling around China when he had run into Quatre and Trowa, who were there for a business conference. They had all fallen for each other after about 4 months of circling around each other. Finally, Quatre had gotten Wufei drunk and he had blurted out how he felt in a drunken haze. And the rest was history. They had gotten married about 2 ½ years ago and were very content from what Duo saw.

Who would have thought that those three would have gotten together? Although, Duo wasn't that surprised when he had read about it in the newspaper. He had seen all the glances they had stolen at the each other when they thought nobody was looking during the war. Duo was happy for them. Really he was, and he wished them all the best.

Relena and Heero…what a subject. They had gotten together shortly after the Marimeia incident. Heero had left Duo saying that Relena needed him more than Duo did. Something about protecting the peace and whatnot. Relena had finally proposed to Heero, making it out to be a permanent mission and as we all know Heero NEVER turns down a mission. So there they were, the perfect couple. They were married on worldwide tv about 4 years ago. Duo just knew that Relena was gloating on how she had finally gotten Heero and Duo was miserable.

And where was Duo? Well, after Heero had left him, Duo had wandered around for a while, trying to mend his broken heart. It hadn't worked. Nobody made him feel like Heero had. Soon he had run low in money. Sure he had his war accounts and the money he had hacked from OZ but he didn't want anybody to know where he was. He had quickly ended up on L2 where he was least likely to be found and started singing in bars for money.

One night he got extremely lucky and a music producer had been in the crowd that night and had given him a record deal. It had been his biggest break ever! The CD had been a big hit on L2 and now Carlos, his manager, wanted to put his CD on the other colonies and Earth. Duo was slightly cautious though. He knew that the others had probably looked for him, well, Quatre at least. But when Shinigami didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be and Duo definitely didn't want to be found. But now that his CD might be going to Earth and all over the colonies, he might not have a choice.

Duo came back to his senses to realize that he had been standing in his kitchen for a full 10 minutes. He looked at his watch and cursed. He had been so busy thinking about the past he now only had 45 minutes before his show. He quickly ran into the bathroom to take a shower.

In the last 5 years since he had seen the guys, he had changed, both physically and mentally. He was still short, standing at a measly 5'5" but his face had matured. His braid now hit his shins (AN: the shins are above the calves. Google magic my friends, look it up.) and pooled on the floor when he let it loose. He was still skinny but had muscle, not enough to make him look like Arnold Swarzaneggar but enough to give him a slight build. His eyes had gone from a cobalt blue-kinda purplish to a full blown violet as he had aged. They were now a deep violet color that seemed to turn black when he was angry. Mentally, he had wizened and matured as well. And he was no longer used the joker mask he had used in the war. Now he was calm and collected, sometimes just cold and somewhat cynical but overall, still very dangerous. His instincts had sharpened instead of winding down. After all, this was L2.

Duo quickly took a shower, carefully washing his hair. Then, hopping out of the shower, walked into his bedroom. He quickly reached the closet and pulled out his clubbing clothes. He would have to hurry if he wanted to make it to Death Valley, his favorite club that wanted him to play, in time for his gig. Duo pulled out his makeup bag and put on black eyeliner, purple eyeshadow, black mascara, and sprinkled purple glitter all over himself. Then he turned to his jewelry box and put in his silver nipple ring and his silver cross, which he had made into a choker. Then he put in his little silver earring. After that his slid his black leather pants on and a violet sleeveless top that left an expanse of toned midriff bare, which showed the beginnings of a tattoo on his hipbone. He then walked back into the bathroom to blow-dry his hair. Then he brushed it into a high pony-tail. As he took in the effect in the mirror, he shoved his feet into his black combat boots. Then he turned to his small arsenal and started arming himself. Four knives went into each boot, but carefully so he could quickly pull it if he needed to without cutting his own leg off. A pistol went into the holster at the small of his back and his lockpicks were spread out around his outfit. But not so they was obvious. He never knew when some rabid fan would try to kidnap him or something. Duo smirked as he looked himself over one last time then he grabbed his keys and his black leather jacket and walked out the door, locking it behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Death Valley**_

_Author: Shinimegami21_

_Pairings: 13x2, 3x4x5, 1xR, 6x9 Past 1x2_

_Warnings: Yaoi, AU, Set after EW_

_Summary: It's been about 5 years since the end of the war. All the GW boys are 22 and Trieze is 28. Trieze lived through the end of the war purely by accident and is now going by the name Trieze Williams. Duo has become a very popular singer but also very lonely. They meet at a nightclub and sparks fly. But after his tragic past, and be betrayed by his friend and ex-lover, will Duo let himself love again?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it's characters, or any of the songs that I use. They all belong to their respective owners. So don't sue!! All you'll do is waste paper and money._

Duo walked up to the back door of the club and knocked five times in quick succession. The door opened and Duo entered. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden flashing lights of the club and loud music, he saw Ken, the doorman, standing by the door, smiling at him. Duo waved at him and looked around the club. He saw Larry, one of the bouncers, across the room by the stage. Larry saw Duo and nodded towards him and Duo nodded back and gave him a thumbs up. Tamara, Lily, Serena, Maria, Sylvie and Cameron, the waitresses, were already running around getting drinks for patrons. Roger, the bartender, saw Duo and waved him towards the stage. Message: "Whenever you're ready." Duo nodded at him and walked towards the stage. Message received and acknowledged. Gloria, the night manager, was already ahead of Duo and was signaling towards the band to finish off their song, then to take a break.

Duo smiled at her gratefully then turned to look around the club. There was mostly regulars sitting at the bar, but one man caught Duo attention. He had his back towards Duo but he looked tall. His hair was pulled back into a loose pony-tail that reached the back of his shoulder blades. He was wearing black leather pants and a dark blue shirt that molded to his skin. Duo quickly turned away as Gloria nudged him. Duo turned to her and she nodded towards the stage.

Duo walked confidently towards the stage and when people saw him they started cheering loudly. Duo cleared his throat and the people almost immediately quieted down. Duo decided to start with one of his favorite songs on his album.

We're not gonna be

Just a part of their game

We're not gonna be just a victim.

They're taking our dreams

And they tear them apart

'Til everyone's the same.

Trieze Williams, or as he was formerly known, Trieze Khrushenada, could feel someone staring at him again but ignored it and took a drink from his beer. He hadn't been on L2 that long, a couple of weeks. He had traveled the colonies, to helping to rebuild the colonies and L2 was the last place. He had gone to L1 earlier in the year. Since he planned to live on L2, it made sense to go here last. Since L2 was the lowest of the low, he figured that if anyone thought he wasn't dead, this would be the last place they would look for him. He could easily disappear here. He had gotten here and almost immediately started helping others rebuild their homes and businesses. He had heard about this club from one of the people he had been helping, but as it was hard to get into, had had no luck until tonight.

Suddenly, he heard lots cheering and clapping, interrupting his thoughts. He heard a throat being cleared from the stage and everybody quieted down almost immediately. Turning towards the stage, he was shocked to see Duo Maxwell, pilot 02, grabbing the microphone. As soon as Duo started singing, Trieze thought he really had died and was in heaven. Trieze glanced at Duo's eyes and was immediately entranced. He saw them flicker with emotion and actually looked into his eyes. He was shocked to see sadness, so started to listen to the lyrics of the song and the tone it was sung in. One could practically feel the defiance but loneliness and sadness pouring off Duo's body language and voice.

I've got no place to go

I've got no where to run

They'd love to watch me fall

They think they know it all.

I'm a nightmare, a disaster

That's what they always said

I'm a lost cause, not a hero

But I'll make it on my own

I'm gonna prove them wrong

Me against the world.

Me against the world

Duo noticed as he sung, that the guy he had been staring at earlier was now staring at him with awe. Then it looked like rapture, then sadness, lust, shock, and some others that flitted by so fast he couldn't identify them. Duo thought that the man looked vaguely familiar to him but just shrugged it off and concentrated on his song.

[We won't let them change

How we feel in our hearts

We're not gonna let them control us

We won't let them shove

All their thoughts in our heads

And we'll never be like them

I've got no place to go

I've got no where to run

They'd love to watch me fall

They think they know it all.

I'm a nightmare, a disaster

That's what they always said

I'm a lost cause, not a hero

But I'll make it on my own

I'm gonna prove them wrong

Me against the world.

Now I'm sick of this waiting

So come on and take your shot

You can spit all your insults

But nothing you says gonna change us

You can sit there and judge me

Say what you want to

But we'll never let you win

Duo spread his arms wide as if embracing the imaginary punch, but stood in a stance that spoke defiance.

I'm a nightmare, a disaster

That's what they always said

I'm a lost cause, not a hero

But I'll make it on my own

I'm gonna prove them wrong

Me against the world.

I'm a nightmare, a disaster

That's what they always said

I'm a lost cause, not a hero

But I'll make it on my own

I'm gonna prove them wrong

They'll never bring us down

We'll never fall in line

I'll make it on my own

Me against the world.

Trieze watched as Duo bounced all over the stage with wild abandon and energy. He watched as the people in the club all bunched around the stage, like a concert, instead of dancing. Trieze downed the rest of his beer and pushed his way through the crowd of people to the stage so that he had a better look at Duo.

Trieze felt his breathe catch. Duo was even more beautiful up close, if that was possible. Duo's black leather pants had molded to his frame, looking like he'd had to have poured himself into them. The top of his tattoo flashed every time he turned and it looked like kanji. Trieze leaned a little closer to try and see. Yup, it was kanji and the first letter was a 'D'. His stomach was perfect, proving that he had kept in shape, even though the war was over. His long chestnut hair was in a high pony-tail and it took on a life of its own, swinging around Duo as he bounced around and left the scent of vanilla and sandalwood in its wake. The eyeliner and mascara around his eyes made them seem deeper and the violet eye shadow made the violet color seem more out there. All in all, Duo looked exquisite.

Duo looked towards the bar but saw that the hot guy he had been admiring had disappeared. And suddenly he felt disappointed, although he couldn't say why. Duo continued to look around when suddenly his eyes met a pair of dark blue ones.

AN: Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks to those who reviewed. Now I know it looks like I'm kicking these chapters out really fast, but truth is, I've had these on my computer for awhile and finally found the time to post them. Please please please let me know what you think, your questions or comments. All is welcome...except flames. If yu're going to flame me for writing a yaoi story, why are you reading it? It's simple, if you don't like them, don't read them. By the way, the song is by Simple Plan. I think it's called _Me Against_ _the World_, but I'm not postitive.


	3. Chapter 3

_Death Valley_

_Author: Shinimegami21_

_Pairings: 13x2, 3x4x5, 1xR, 6x9 Past 1x2_

_Warnings: Yaoi, AU, Set after EW_

_Summary: It's been about 5 years since the end of the war. All the GW boys are 22 and Trieze is 28. Trieze lived through the end of the war purely by accident and is now going by the name Trieze Williams. Duo has become a very popular singer but also very lonely. They meet at a nightclub and sparks fly. But after his tragic past, and be betrayed by his friend and ex-lover, will Duo let himself love again?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it's characters, or any of the songs that I use. They all belong to their respective owners. So don't sue!! All you'll do is waste paper and money._

Duo looked shocked for a moment, then blinked when he realized that the man had moved to the very front of the crowd. And for the first time in 5 years, he felt like smiling. Really smiling. Not the joker's mask or smiling just because he was trying to make somebody else feel better or stop worrying. Duo was shocked but managed to suppress the urge. Instead, he motioned for the band to start the next song.

You think I notice that you're standing there right next to me

Am I suppose to bow my head and thank you gratefully

You break my heart and turn around to get what still remains

I sold my soul and bought my fear; my inner pain

Without a clue I trust I follow you with my eyes blind

And what I cannot see I need I cannot leave behind

With all those eyes on me, their hunger is insanity

I can see you standing there, do you wanna be free, do you wanna be me

I don't want to be the only one

To see my name wrote up on the sun

I don't wanna be the only one

To watch it fall into the sea

I don't wanna have to play the game

To sell my soul, betray my name

I don't wanna be the only one

To watch it fall into the sea

So you just sit there stuck

Afraid to risk reality

Those words are mine

And you can find them deep inside of me

You walk away

Somehow dismayed at what you may have done

The lies, the dreams, the broken promises, the only one

I can't remember whose idea it was to make this real

Divided equally my feelings I still cannot feel

And there you are you're all alone inside your fantasy

I can see you standing there,

Do you wanna be free, do you wanna be me

I don't want to be the only one

To see my name wrote up on the sun

I don't wanna be the only one

To watch it fall into the sea

I don't wanna have to play the game

To sell my soul, betray my name

I don't wanna be the only one

To watch it fall into the sea

And when the light is gone and it's just you and me

Will you allow us to be who we're supposed to be

Or will time erode our thoughts, our will, insanity

I don't want to be the only one

To see my name wrote up on the sun

I don't wanna be the only one

To watch it fall into the sea

I don't wanna have to play the game

To sell my soul, betray my name

I don't wanna be the only one

To watch it fall into the sea

Duo finished his second song and grabbed a bottle of water, while wondering what to play before he took his break. Suddenly, it came to him! He walked over to the band and told them what song to play and that this would be the last one before break time. They agreed and got ready to play. Duo nodded his head and they started the music.

I'm holding on your rope,  
Got me ten feet off the ground  
I'm hearin what you say but I just can't make a sound  
You tell me that you need me  
Then you go and cut me down, but wait  
You tell me that you're sorry  
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothin new  
I loved you with a fire red-  
Now it's turning blue, and you say...  
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you  
But I'm afraid...

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

Bridge (guitar/piano)

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late  
It's too late to apologize, yeah  
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah-  
I'm holdin on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground...

Trieze was shocked at the song that Duo had chosen to sing. Then as he listened more closely to the lyrics, he got angry at whoever had pushed away the fey boy so foolishly. He would really like to get his hands on them. Trieze felt his anger diminish slightly as he realized that if that person hadn't left Duo, he might not be here for Trieze to get to know better. Trieze watched as Duo left the stage and talked to a lady then head for the bar. Trieze realized this was his chance and walked towards the bar to talk to the beautiful boy. Before he got there he vowed to help the boy heal even if Duo hated him.

Authors note: I want to thank all of you who reviewed my story. You guys have been a big inspiration for me to keep writing. I wasn't sure how this fic was going to turn out or even if anyone would like it, but you guys have given me hope. So thank you guys for all your support. By the way the songs are: The Only One by Ra and Apologize by One Republic. God bless and have Happy Holiday!!


	4. Author's Note

Hey everybody

Hey everybody! Sorry if you were expecting another chapter, but unfortunately my computer recently crashed and I lost all my work. Originally, I was gonna post 2 chapters to make up for the time between chapters, but my plans were derailed. So, instead, the next time I post, it'll be with 4 chapter!! YAY! Please be patient, I'm working as fast as I can. A BIG, HUGE thank-you to everybody who reviewed. You guys are great and have no idea how much you guys have influenced me to re-write this story instead of letting it go. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I'll try to get these chapter out within the next month, but no promises, seeing as how I also have to work. But I'll try my very hardest, just for you reviewers!


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